HP CM Office salutes four Himachali stars in kabaddi gold
Synopsis
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister's Office celebrated captain Pushpa Rana, Ritu Negi, Jyoti Thakur, and Bhavna Thakur for their 'unparalleled contribution' to the Indian women's kabaddi team's gold medal at the Asian Games, calling the achievement history-making for the nation.
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh posted a tribute on 30 September 2026 honouring four Himachali athletes in the Indian women's kabaddi squad.
The four athletes named are Pushpa Rana (captain), Ritu Negi , Jyoti Thakur , and Bhavna Thakur .
The Indian women's kabaddi team won gold at the Asian Games , continuing a streak that includes golds at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2023 .
The CMO described the athletes' contribution as 'atulaneey' — unparalleled or incomparable.
State-level reward announcements for the four athletes are a likely next step, consistent with established Indian government practice after Asian Games medals.
Four daughters of Himachal Pradesh helped India write history on the kabaddi mat — and the state is making sure the world knows it. The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 took to X to honour the quartet's 'incomparable contribution' to the Indian women's kabaddi team's gold medal at the Asian Games.
The post named all four athletes individually: team captain Pushpa Rana, Ritu Negi, Jyoti Thakur, and Bhavna Thakur. In Hindi, the CMO described their role as 'atulaneey yogdan' — an unparalleled contribution — to an achievement it called history-making for the nation.
Himachal's four on the gold-medal mat
Having four athletes from a single hill state in a national championship squad is no small statistical footnote. Himachal Pradesh, a state of roughly 7.5 million people nestled in the western Himalayas, has steadily built a reputation for punching above its weight in contact and endurance sports. The CMO's post singles out Pushpa Rana specifically in her role as captain — a signal of just how central Himachali athletes were to the team's campaign, not merely as squad fillers but as leaders on the mat.
India's kabaddi dynasty at the Asian Games
This gold is the latest chapter in one of Indian sport's most consistent continental success stories. The Indian women's kabaddi team won gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang and defended the title at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. A third consecutive gold would cement the team's status as the undisputed queens of Asian kabaddi — and place this squad in rare company in Indian sporting history.
Kabaddi remains one of the few disciplines where India enters every major continental tournament as the favourite and, more often than not, delivers. The women's programme in particular has grown in depth and tactical sophistication, making individual contributions — like those of Himachal's four — all the more competitive to earn.
Why state governments spotlight local athletes
The CMO's public acknowledgement follows a well-established pattern across Indian states: when national squads triumph, home governments move quickly to claim regional credit and, in many cases, to signal forthcoming rewards. State-level cash prizes, government jobs, and felicitation ceremonies have historically followed Asian Games medals in India. Whether Himachal Pradesh announces a formal incentive package for the four athletes is the next thing to watch.
For now, the message from Shimla is clear — these four women carried not just a jersey but an entire state's pride onto the continental stage, and they brought gold home.
Point of View
Specific, and name-forward. By spotlighting all four athletes individually and leading with Pushpa Rana's captaincy, Himachal Pradesh signals not just pride but ownership of the achievement. This matters in a state where sports infrastructure investment is a recurring political talking point. The broader arc here is India's sustained kabaddi dominance at the Asian Games — a rare zone of continental invincibility — and the growing pressure on states to back that pipeline with tangible incentives rather than social-media felicitations alone.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Himachal Pradesh players were in the Indian women's kabaddi team at the Asian Games?
Four players from Himachal Pradesh were part of the squad: captain Pushpa Rana , Ritu Negi , Jyoti Thakur , and Bhavna Thakur , as acknowledged by the state's Chief Minister's Office.
Did India win gold in women's kabaddi at the Asian Games?
Yes. The Indian women's kabaddi team won gold at the Asian Games, an achievement the Himachal Pradesh CMO described as 'history-making.' India had previously won gold at the 2018 and 2023 Asian Games as well.
Who is Pushpa Rana in kabaddi?
Pushpa Rana is a kabaddi player from Himachal Pradesh who captained the Indian women's kabaddi team at the Asian Games, as noted in the official CMO post.
How many Asian Games kabaddi golds has India's women's team won?
India's women's kabaddi team has won gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang and the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, with the latest gold continuing that dominant streak.
Will Himachal Pradesh give awards to its kabaddi players after the Asian Games gold?
No formal announcement has been made yet, but Indian states have a strong precedent of felicitating and rewarding athletes who win medals at the Asian Games with cash prizes or government positions.
